Occupational Therapy and English Department Initiative

Handwriting is a skill which many of us take for granted. However, this complex perceptual-motor skill is dependent upon the maturation and integration of a number of cognitive, perceptual and motor abilities. Handwriting depends on multiple skills, involving: the eyes, arms, hands, memory, posture and body control, as well as managing pencil, paper and following instructions.

In our modern society, many people now speak to their smart devices to make their grocery lists, just as our pupils are more likely to type out notes in class than write them down. Furthermore, we often type or dictate calendar reminders into our smartphones instead of writing them on a wall calendar. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that handwriting stimulates different and more complex brain connections that are essential in encoding new information and forming memories.

At the Tower School, we are dedicated to support our pupils in achieving this invaluable life skill. As a joint initiative between the English Department and Occupational Therapy, we will be offering handwriting directives for pupils in the Key Stage 3 cohort. These interventions are planned to be engaging, explorative and multi-sensory, with a focus on team building and group work.

Before the half term break, we are completing short activities to assess our pupils’ current level of skill, which will then help to shape and inform our provision for after the half term break.

We look forward to keeping updated with our progress!